HELP- Desperately need to know about the BEST TEA for BAR STUDY!!!

OK Please help me all of you wonderful strangers of the tea community, I have to study for the bar in a few months and I need to get my preparations in order. I know that all types of teas have massive amounts of benefits and I need to make the healthy (and wise) switch from coffee to tea A.S.A.P! But I need help when it comes to deciding whether the cheaper brands like Bigelow, Twinings, and Lipton to name a few- are really that inferior to the somewhat higher end brands such as YOGI, Alvita, Tradional Medicinals and so on. Also is the potency of the antioxidants linked to the freshness, process of packaging and whether the tea is loose or bagged? Please let me know any and all of your thoughts.

Do you have a tea you like already? I think when doing something stressful, you’re better off choosing a tea that’s comforting to you, familiar, and easy to make – I know I’d be frustrated using a loose leaf, or a tea that I barely liked because it had a little bit of vitamin A in it.

I remember those days. Will you be squirreled away in some quiet part of the Law Library? Or in a study carel somewhere with access only to a hot water dispenser? If so, get loose leaf green oolong and an inexpensive tea thermos with a built-in filter basket. Whenever you need a break you can grab it, carry it over to fill with sub boiling hot water, have a tea break and then head back to torts or civil procedure. The oolong steeped for only a short time will give you a tasty treat and perk you up without getting you too over caffeinated, and you can do that several times with the same leaves. A nice jade Green oolong or pouching will be chock full of anti-oxidants.

One thing to remember about loose leaf vs bagged varieties is the bagged varieties are often broken pieces of the leaf that are left behind after processing. Bags are easier to prepare and clean vs loose leaf, and bags are easier to carry with you if you are going somewhere to study. In general, tea bags are said to “keep” longer than loose leaf teas (because of packaging).

I think at this point you need to find something that you like. You don’t want to spend all of your time trying to find or prepare a lot of different types of teas instead of studying.

If you are switching from coffee to tea you might want to consider the caffeine content of the tea.

More expensive does not necessarily mean better tea. Some things you may want to consider, is the tea fair trade, is it packaged responsibly, is it organic or pesticide free, etc.

I do not have any info on how antioxidants relate to freshness of tea, but would be interested to find out if anyonde knows?

If you’re looking for tea to keep you awake, I’d go with Fast Lane by Celestial Seasonings. It’s a bagged black tea flavored with cola and cinnamon (sounds strange, but it’s good!) and has extra caffeine added. Bagged tea may be a little more convenient than loose while studying, but it all depends on what kind of environment you’re in.

Fast Lane has a bit of a cult following among the graduate students in my department. We’ve been known to buy it by the case. The only downside is that it’s only available online.

Thank you everyone. I haven’t heard of fastlane but will have to check it out now! I appreciate the thoughtful responses :) I do drink tea and always have- not nearly as much as coffee though. I know I need to make the switch- it will keep me out of creamers as well! I just wanted to see if the brands matter because being a student is all about saving money but I still want to know what I am buying isn’t a waste. :)